Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot
by Fedzgurl
Summary: Lily Potter is tired of watching her best friends waste their lives being miserable... so she leaves the afterlife and takes action. Written for SnupinSanta Exchange on LJ's LupinSnape community. RLSS SLASH!


**Disclaimer: **I do not claim ownership of any recognizable ideas in the following story – the characters, settings and descriptions used are the intellectual property of J.K. Rowling. I only borrow for the fun of it.

**A/N: **This fic was writting for the LJ Community lupinsnape in it's snupinsanta holiday fest. It was actually osmalic's third choice, so I apologize for choosing from the middle of the list – but the idea of Slytherin!Lily's meddling was too much to resist… I hope that you enjoy reading it half as much as I did writing it :) It is also the first time I've ever written Harry Potter slash - so reviews and concrit would be greatly appreciated!

**Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot**

If there was one thing Lily Evans-Potter hated about the afterlife, it was her being forced to be a spectator. During her short life, she had strived to be an involved leader in everything she took part in—a prefect during her fifth and sixth years at Hogwarts, the boarding school for witches and wizards she had attended, the Head Girl of her class at the same school, a leader of the war against one of the most evil wizards of her era. Even her death, a murder committed by that same wizard, was one caused by action: she had refused to back down and allow the megalomaniac to kill her son, and as a result had died herself.

After dying, she'd been forced to spend the rest of her time as a spectator. Worst of all had been watching her son, Harry, grow up. He'd only been a toddler the night she and his father had died, and ever since she'd been forced to watch the horrors her only son had to endure in order to survive. From being horridly neglected by her sister, Petunia (Lily was _still _mad that she hadn't been allowed to haunt the despicable cow), to being manipulated to fulfill his part in the prophecy-that-saved-the-Wizarding-World (and had she ever had words for Albus Dumbledore when he'd arrived beyond the veil), to being thrust into battle against the Dark Lord himself (though she'd never been more proud of anything than when he'd finally defeated the evil bastard).

But now the horrors seemed to be over. He had survived the war. He was healthy and safe. He had friends and family and a loving relationship (though the latter would admittedly throw a cog in her plan). He was as happy and well adjusted as a young man with his history could ever be.

Now that she might be able to rest peacefully, with considerably less anxiety that she had during her first nineteen years of death, she had finally found an effective method of intervention. And a cause that even Merlin himself had been willing to grant worthy of her interference. For too long she had watched her two best friends lead lonely and dangerous lives. She knew that neither of them was happy, although one did his best to hide it with an acerbic attitude and the other by using his affliction to exclude himself from the rest of society. But she also knew that with a little prodding, it would likely be easy to help the two of them find happiness in each other—if only someone had the determination to match wits with them.

With that proposal she'd gone before the Merlin, and to even her own astonishment her plan met his approval. She was granted one month to put her plan into action; provided she could find a living blood-relative and followed all necessary rules during her time amongst the living. Standing at the foot of Harry's bed, Lily did begin to feel some guilt for her plan; guilt that she hadn't thought of it sooner (though she knew if she had the fates would have denied her due to the importance of the prophecy and other such rot) and guilt that she would be using Harry as so many others had…

Gathering all her will, before she could change her mind, Lily concentrated on the spell required to borrow his body and felt her magic for the first time in 19 years. With a rush, she disappeared from the room, setting her plan into motion and beginning our story.

* * *

Severus Snape hadn't had a particularly banner week. With Christmas approaching at the end of the month, his mail-order potions business was experiencing its yearly boom, and within the first few days of December he found himself with an order list twice as long as it typically would be on a monthly basis, and primarily featuring fussy cosmetic potions and personal care tonics. All of the expensive products were great for his income, but terrible for his mental health. 

As if the excessive brewing weren't enough on his frayed nerves, there was a knock on his door during the mid-morning hours of December the second. It wasn't usual that Severus received visitors; save for the occasional visits by Draco Malfoy, the boy he had once considered to be his protégé, few were willing to frequent the home of the former Death Eater responsible for the death of the most loved wizard of his age. While he had been pardoned of the crime thanks to a large bulk of irrefutable evidence the old codger had left in his defense, Severus still knew that it was unlikely he'd ever be accepted back into wizarding society. It was acceptable for the time, though; for the most part, a life of brewing in solitude was suiting him quite well.

This was why the knock at the door had come as such a surprise. With a frown, he lowered the heat under his cauldron of a variation of Sleekeazy'sHair Potion and made his way through his house, out of the workroom and towards the front door. He'd cracked the door open just far enough to see a head of tousled black hair before he slammed the door shut—or would have, if the blighter hadn't gotten his foot in the door first.

"Professor Snape, sir, I was…"

"Convenient that you wait until after I've quit the post to address me by the proper title, Potter," Severus said with a sneer, reopening the door to take pressure off of the boy's foot. "What do you want?"

"I was hoping I could come in, sir. I have… er, a request."

Severus could feel his migraine coming on as Potter wet his lips nervously, but he stepped aside to let the young man in. The boy stopped in the doorway and stared around the room for a while, as if in shock. Severus could only imagine his thoughts—surely the boy would have some snide comment about the shabby state of his father's rundown house, or of the ambiance one created by decorating their sitting room with books and odd potions ingredients. While he certainly didn't care what Potter thought of his house, he didn't know if his already-thin nerves would be able to take any mockery from the brat.

He closed the door behind him with a snap, and Potter turned back to look at him for the first time, a nervous smile on his face. "Would you mind if we… sat down, sir?" He asked, motioning towards the rickety furniture in the room.

Severus nodded, and took a seat in the worn armchair, waiting for Potter to explain the reason behind his visit and wondering what the hell the boy was playing at. Potter wet his lips before sitting down on the sofa, facing him nervously.

"As you may know," the boy began, "Auror applications are due to the ministry at the end of January. I decided a while ago that I that I wanted to become an Auror someday, and I've already taken Ministry approved N.E.W.T.s in most of the prerequisite courses, but I worry that since I never really attended classes my seventh year, I won't be… proficient enough in a few of the areas I'll need."

Snape frowned, realizing what the conversation was leading towards. "I sincerely doubt you'll need to worry about i _what /i _you put on your application, Potter. Surely the_ Boy Who Defeated the Dark Lord _can get any position within the Ministry that he wants."

Potter's cheeks flamed red, "But I don't want the position based on my name, sir, I want to make it because I'm qualified. And besides that, if I can't understand the prerequisite topics, how the hell will I be able to keep up with the people I'm training with?"

"All good points, Potter, but I fail to see how they relate to me."

This time the boy's entire face went red. "Well, sir, one of the areas I definitely need to improve on is Potions—I was hoping that you might be able to tutor me."

"Potter, I have neither the time nor the desire to spend an entire month attempting to beat the subject of Potion Making into your head… had you showed any interest for it when you had your opportunity lo learn at Hogwarts, I might consider, but now…"

"Please, sir," the boy begged, suddenly looking quite desperate, "I don't know of anyone else to go to, and without these lessons there's no way I could be ready for training. I can work on your schedule, and I promise that I'll try my hardest—you can quit the lessons if you don't feel that I'm up to par. I just really, really need your help."

"There are plenty of other resources at your disposal, why don't you go and contact Slughorn or…" He was working up a good rant when the boy did the unthinkable: Potter's eyes _sparkled _as he pouted. He instantly knew that he was doomed—how had the pain-in-his-arse learned _that _trick, and to master it every bit as well as Albus or… No. He was not going to relate that boy to _that person_. No matter how much their sodding eyes looked alike.

"Fine," Snape huffed, "you have one month. I'll tutor you in Potions and Potions only, and we'll be working here, on my schedule. I hardly have time to reorganize my life just because Precious Potter has finally taken an interest in his schooling."

Potter grinned as if lessons with Snape had been his deepest desire for years. "Of course, sir, just send me an owl with your schedule, we can start next week, if you're ready."

"You can expect an owl within the next few days," Severus responded, getting out of his chair and walking towards the door, hoping that Potter would take the hint.

Fortunately, the boy did, and as Severus closed the door behind him, he closed his eyes and wondered why the hell he'd acquiesced so easily to the boy's desires. Was he really so hard up for human contact that he was willing to sentence himself to a month of teaching Potions to Potter?

With a sigh, he pushed himself away from the door and made his way back into his workroom, hoping that he wouldn't spend the next month regretting his generosity.

* * *

"And he just agreed to help? You?" 

With a sigh Lily pushed her—Harry's—fringe off her forehead. "I told you, Hermione, I may have… well, I reminded him he owed me, you know?" The Granger girl was entirely too smart for her own good. She continued to give Lily a highly speculative look, but didn't pursue the topic anymore.

"Well, I think it's brilliant, Harry." Ron grinned, taking a drink of ale. "I mean, he's getting his requirements done, isn't he 'mione? And who better to learn from than Snape? And in only a month, he'll be ready for Auror training."

Both Lily and Hermione gaped at the redhead across from him. From all of Lily's recollections of her son's best friend the young man had always been rather—thick wasn't necessarily the word that she would label him, but certainly not capable of putting together such a sensible statement as he just had, and especially not when it came to Severus Snape.

"What? He's still a git and all, but you can't deny that Snape would be the best teacher. And besides that, the blackmail trick was genius," he grinned in Lily's direction, and for a moment she was relieved that her explanation had him fooled.

Hermione continued her puzzled stare at Ron, before turning her attention back to Lily. "Harry, I know that he's the most qualified to help you, and certainly the most talented, it's just that… well, Snape never seemed to like you much."

"Bloody hated him." Ron piped in over the top of his mug.

"Right—and you've never liked him either…"

It was on the tip of Lily's tongue to argue—a habit one acquired after spending as much time with James Potter and Sirius Black as she had—when she caught her mistake. Yes, Harry had hated Severus; it was highly likely that he still would after the lessons. But she hoped that he'd realize how beneficial they would be to his future career, and that her articulations of these opinions would be realistic enough to fool his friends off of her own trickery.

"I know, Hermione, but… it's not Hogwarts anymore, and it's only for a short time, and I u need /u to get the training if I want to begin Auror applications."

The Granger girl still looked skeptical, but seemed to be willing to give the argument up. "And how does Ginny feel about you spending all of your time in lessons? Christmas is coming up, after all."

The question seemed to pique Ron's attention especially, but Lily figured that was to be expected—it was his little sister that Harry was dating, after all. Of course, her son's relationship had been one of the first things she'd taken into account when she'd decided to go about her plan. "We'll only be having lessons during the weekdays, Hermione, so we'll be able to see each other plenty on the weekends. Besides, Ginny's busy enough at St. Mungo's with her own training—it's not as if we spend every waking moment together."

It was the truth—although it required a great deal of complex memory modifying charms, Lily had worked out a way that she could leave Harry be during the weekends, to pursue Ginny Weasley and time with his friends, without getting in the way of any of Lily's work on Severus and Remus during the weekdays.

"I know… I'm sorry, Harry," Hermione said with some exasperation, "and I'm glad that you're getting the lessons—I'm happy for you, I guess it's just—I worry about how it will go. I mean, knowing your history with Professor Snape."

Lily smiled, "I know, Hermione. Thank you for your concern, but… I mean, it's only a month. I think I can handle a month of whatever Snape has to dish out."

"Well then," Ron said, raising his mug as if in a toast, "best of luck to ya, mate."

* * *

Remus Lupin couldn't help frowning as he and Harry approached the run-down row of mill houses. "You're certain he's okay with this Harry? You actually told him that I'd be along, too?" 

Harry carefully avoided Remus' eyes as they neared the end of the row. "I didn't necessarily say that you'd be coming," his speech sped up as he noticed Remus about to cut him off, "but he said he'd only teach me Potions even though he knows I need help in other areas, and it only makes sense that you join us and all the lessons are in the same place."

Before Remus could argue, or flee for his life, Harry had knocked on the door of the last house on the street. Within seconds an irritated looking Severus Snape answered the door, glaring at Harry before noticing Remus. Although he wouldn't have thought it possible, the furrow between Snape's brows seemed to deepen when he noticed Harry's companion. "Potter," he hissed, "I don't remember giving you permission to bring a _pet _into my house."

Remus did his best to force a smile as he replied, "Nice to see you too, Severus." When he tried to make eye contact with Harry, he noticed the boy conveniently looking away.

"You got my owl, then?" He asked Snape pleasantly, as if he couldn't sense the tension between the other two men. "Remus will be tutoring me in charms, and we were thinking it'd be easiest if…"

"My home is not and never has been a schoolhouse, Mister Potter, and you'll do well to remember it."

The cold statement stopped Harry before he could continue his explanation, and for a few moments no one spoke.

"Well, erm, sir… we don't really have anywhere else to study for the week, and we're already wasting our lesson time…" Snape continued to glare at the two of them, "so I guess, if it's just for this week, and, erm…"

"I can assure you that we'd stay out of your way, Severus," Remus cut in, hoping to save Harry before Snape glared him into oblivion. "If we could just use the space for a few days."

"Fine!" Snape finally exclaimed, throwing the door open for them with such force that it hit the wall inside. He turned on a heel and marched back through what looked to be a dark sitting room, and banged through another door, muttering about "annoying brats" and "damned werewolves."

"You said it had already been discussed," Remus said disapprovingly to Harry.

"And if I'd discussed it with him, d'you think he ever would have said yes? I knew the only way that it would work was if we showed up on his doorstep."

Although he continued frowning at Harry, he had to admit that the boy had a point. He watched as Harry made his way through the same door that Snape had, towards what he figured would be Snape's workroom where they'd be brewing. Remus, deciding that it would probably be best to lay low for at least a few hours as Severus acclimated to their presence, pursued one of the many bookshelves in the sitting room, and sat down on the worn sofa to read an old tome on Defensive Charms while waiting for his lesson time with Harry. After reading nearly three chapters, the door to the backroom swung open and Harry joined him in the sitting room.

"It needs to simmer for two hours now—care to start on that Charms lesson?" Harry asked cheerily, although Remus could tell that he'd had a rough couple of hours; most of the spark that he'd seen in his eyes when the day began was subdued. With a sigh, Remus pulled his notes from his robe and began instructing Harry on tracking Charms, but he couldn't ignore how often Snape would poke his head into the room, merely to glare at the visitors and return to his brewing. Somehow, Remus figured it was going to be a very long week.

* * *

Much to Lily's delight, the three of them had survived "Harry's" first four days of lessons. She was sure that it didn't hurt that she'd been utilizing as many of her old brewing tricks as possible, to butter up Severus as much as she could. Although he continued to glower at Harry and Remus whenever they used brewing time to practice their own lessons, he rarely voiced his displeasure about their company, and it had been two days since he'd asked when "Lupin" would be finding another teaching space. 

Nonetheless, Remus had left early by design on Friday, to give Lily an opportunity to ensure that Severus would allow the two of them to continue using his workroom for study. Lily removed her stirring rod from her cauldron full of Dreamless Sleep Potion and checked the clock on the wall. Seeing that she only had fifteen minutes in her lesson with Snape she hastily jotted down the last of her notes in the notebook she intended to leave for Harry—it seemed only fair to leave him with her cheat sheets, as she was essentially stealing lessons that the boy desperately needed.

"The color could be a bit lighter, Potter," Severus commented as he examined the contents of her cauldron, "but from the looks of it the draught would probably work. It's definitely a passable brew, shocked as I am to admit it." Coming from Snape, Lily figured that was high praise.

"Thank you, sir. I already feel a lot more confident about sitting the examination."

"It's only been a week, Potter, and I said this particular potion was passable. Besides that, a mediocre fifth-year student at Hogwarts should be able to get this one mostly right, so don't go patting yourself on the back just yet."

In order to stay within Harry's character Lily made sure to frown at his response—normally her old friend's snark would have made her smile. "Very well then, sir, I'll just have to make sure to work at it more next week. Speaking of which, I was wondering if you would mind keeping our same arrangements."

"What arrangements would those be?" Severus asked, although the way his eyebrows were slowly coming together Lily knew he was well aware of what she was talking about.

"Well… it's just so much easier to do the work on my other subjects while things are brewing, sir, and… I guess if it's not too much of a trouble…"

"You want Lupin to continue to stay here during our lessons," Snape finished for her, his expression completely unreadable.

"If it's not too much trouble, sir," she said as meekly as she could.

Snape sighed and stared into her cauldron for a few moments. "This week has been—considerably more tolerable than I had expected, Potter," he began, "and I agree that it is more productive to have you working with Lupin while waiting than wandering the workroom by yourself and getting underfoot." He sighed as if he were making a great sacrifice, "This is why, for as long as the arrangement doesn't change, and the both of you are able to stay out of my way and keep things down, you can continue your charms lessons here, as well."

"Thank you, sir!" She exclaimed, the relief in her voice very real. "I'll let Remus know about it tomorrow."

Severus grumbled something about gratitude and waved her thanks off, then reminded her to clean up before she left and walked into his sitting room. Lily bottled the potion as quickly as possible and Scourgified her cauldron before returning it to the shelf. As she made her way back to the front of the house, she found Severus in the entry room, pursuing a rather large volume from one of the shelves.

"Here," he said without preamble as he shoved the book at her, "read up on Veritaserum and the theorems connected to it for Monday. Let me know by owl if you have any trouble with it over the weekend."

Lily nodded with a slight smile and accepted the book, before turning towards the door with an even bigger grin. She glanced back to bid Severus a good weekend as she stepped out the door—only to run into someone on the other side.

"Watch it!" The person sneered, stepping back and glaring down at Lily. He was slightly taller than Harry, with extremely pale features and a severe look of contempt on his face—she instantly recognized him to be Draco Malfoy, Harry's nemesis from his days at Hogwarts.

"What are you doing here… Potter?" He asked rudely, though Lily noticed him stumble over the name. This seemed to irritate him even more than being run into, and before she knew it he was brushing by her and entering the house without invitation.

Rather than attempting an explanation, Lily grabbed Harry's cloak from the peg beside the door and exited Severus' house, wondering what the odd bit of behavior had been caused by. She didn't know the Malfoy boy well—hadn't much expected to see him around, honestly, and as she grabbed wrapped the cloak around her and began to leave Spinner's End, she found herself worrying that the boy could end up adding yet another challenge to her plan.

* * *

Severus was certain he'd chew a hole through his cheek before the day was over. The idiot's notes on Veritaserum had been flawless, he'd explained all of the concepts perfectly three times in his two days of brewing, and he knew the ingredients weren't tainted. It was all he could do to keep himself from screaming as he Evanescoed the third ruined batch of Potter's potion from its smoldering cauldron. 

"Explain to me," he said quietly, "how someone can say, multiple times, that they are competent to perform a task, only to bugger it up equally as many times and as spectacularly as you have."

Potter, to his credit, had the sense to look contrite as he gathered the necessary ingredients around him again. From the corner of the room Severus heard Lupin turn a page, and found himself wondering how long the other man had been observing them.

"One more try, Potter," he stated, "then you'll be writing an essay on the bloody thing. I can't have you continuing to waste my ingredients, and if your work continues to be on par with a third-year Hogwarts student, then you'll begin receiving assignments to match your performance level."

Potter set his clean cauldron full of water to boil, and began measuring out holly sap for his potion, when a mischievous smile began spreading across his face. "I tell you what, sir… how about, if I don't get the brew right this time, I treat you and Remus to a round. To make up for the wasted ingredients."

Severus frowned, wondering what the boy was getting at. "Sounds fine, Potter, though I fail to see how spending another afternoon with the two of you would make up for the headache you've caused already today." He ignored Lupin's snort when he heard it come from the corner of the room. "And if somehow hell freezes over and … and you do brew it correctly… then what?"

This time the cheeky bugger had the audacity to grin. "And if I brew it right, then you buy and Remus and I chose the pub."

"Unlikely, but alright—you've got a deal," Severus agreed, before beginning a batch of complexion crème that he'd received an order for the previous day. He became so lost in brewing (it seemed like Lupin and Potter had been spending so much time around lately that he barely had time to keep up with his inventory) that he lost all track of time, until Potter was announcing that he was finished.

Severus set a stasis charm on his own cauldron before checking Potter's—which appeared to contain a full batch of… recognizable Veritaserum. He cast a charm to analyze the brew, lest Potter had decided to fill the cauldron of water in an attempt to be cheeky, but sure enough, the results came back as being nearly flawless Veritaserum.

"Remus, will you be free on Saturday?" Potter asked, grinning at Snape the entire time, "I think the pub down the street would be a nice place for a round or two."

Lupin was cheeky enough to smile at Potter, before nodding in the affirmative. "I have no plans for the weekend, so a couple of rounds sound like a brilliant time."

Severus released a put-upon sigh. "Very well, then. I'll need to get some work done in the morning, but I could meet up for a short set of drinks around two in the afternoon."

"Sounds excellent," Potter smiled, "should I start bottling this, then?"

Severus nodded and went back to busying himself around his own cauldron, hoping that the boy and the werewolf would leave soon, and infinitely glad that the lesson was over.

* * *

"You know, Lupin, _Omnis Aperio _would be far more efficient at Disillusionment detection," drawled a sneering voice from the back corner of Severus' workroom. 

Remus turned from Harry, who he'd been instructing on how to detect adversaries under the Disillusionmentcharm, to see Snape staring at the pair of them from over a large cauldron. "Sorry, Severus?" He asked, confused as to what Snape was correcting him on. The three had been getting along fairly well, especially considering that Harry and Remus had now been having lessons in Snape's home for nearly a week over what the had originally requested to stay.

"_Omnis Aperio_," Snape repeated, picking up a knife and beginning to chop what Remus recognized to be wormwood, "it's been the spell of choice for nearly a year now. Apparently it's more effective over a wider casting area, making it more likely to actually hit your target, and the magic used isn't obtrusive enough to be noticeable, so it usually gives the caster a second's advantage once he's broken the spell."

Remus blinked, somewhat surprised by the authority in Snape's voice. "I wasn't aware you followed counter-charms research."

"Yes, well, I've had sufficient time to keep up on the world of academia of late, and I can tell you that if you want to teach Potter in the way that best prepares him for Auror training, he should be learning _Omnis Aperio_."

"Thanks," Harry murmured, flipping through a book of tracking charms to heed Snape's advice.

Remus settled in to helping Harry work out the proper wand movements and other intricacies behind the spell, but as Harry began practicing on his own, Remus couldn't help but let his attention wander back to Severus' corner of the room. It had been quite a while since he'd heard any movement other than the rolling boil of the cauldron, so he wasn't particularly surprised to notice Snape watching the two of them.

"You know, Severus, you're more than welcome to join us if you'd like to," he said, trying to keep his attention on the book so Snape wouldn't think he'd noticed his silent observations.

There were a couple of loud clatters from brewing instruments hitting the workbench, and Snape huffed as he launched back into his work. "Please, Lupin—as if I had time to dedicate myself to more of Potter's lessons," although Remus had to wonder if the disgust in the Potion Master's voice was focused toward himself for making the suggestion, Harry for needing the assistance, or if it was self-imposed for taking notice of the other two men in the room.

Remus returned his attention to Harry's work, trying to ignore the strange twinge of disappointment he'd felt at Snape's refusal, and the dispirited way Snape skulked about his cauldrons for the rest of the day.

* * *

It was Friday again before Lily took the time to rethink her plan of action. Realizing that her time was nearly half up, she couldn't help but be somewhat worried by her lack of progress—sure, Snape had been tolerating Harry and Lupin's presence, and he and Lupin had been able to work rather well together instructing Harry, but their interaction was still limited to Harry's tutelage and the occasional conversation on the development of spells or potions. Lily hoped that their upcoming outing would help clear some of the air, and potentially open the two up to the possibility of a more—personal—relationship. 

As he had the week before, Remus left as Lily was finishing her brewing, leaving her and Severus to finish their lesson. Aside from the early Veritaserum disasters, "Harry" was proving to be a very competent brewer, to the point that Severus was giving him room to work as he completed his own projects. The majority of the week had been quite enjoyable, in Lily's opinion.

She was in the process of decanting her potion when a knock sounded at the front door. Severus left the workroom to answer it, as Lily moved closer to the door to listen, intrigued over who would be visiting Snape on a Friday afternoon.

"Erm—Hi, Sn-everus," she heard a slightly drawling voice say from the sitting room. She recognized it as Draco Malfoy, but as with the week before, she sensed something odd about it. In her furious thinking to determine what it was that made him sound so odd, she missed Snape's reply.

"I'm sorry… I didn't think that I would need an invitation to come visit," the voice said petulantly, responding to whatever Severus had said before.

"Not an invitation, Draco, but at least an owl to let me know you were coming. As it is now, I have company…" Lily decided that this would be a good place to make herself known, so she walked through the door between the sitting room and the workroom, only to see Draco Malfoy run his hand through his hair in a very characteristic way—one that reminded her considerably of another man she had known.

She started putting the pieces together as the Malfoy boy responded: James father, Charlus had married Dorea Black, one of the very few "good" Black family women she'd ever heard of, which meant that he was fairly close cousins with Narcissa Black, who she remembered had married a Malfoy, who'd had a son around the same time that Harry had been born named…

It dawned on her that the Malfoy boy standing in Snape's sitting room likely wasn't Malfoy at all—sure as anything, it'd be James bloody Potter, stealing her idea. Lily doubted she'd ever been so angry. "Malfoy," she interrupted, "I'd like a word in the next room."

The boy's eyes flew wide open, before narrowing into slits. "Why, Potter," he sneered, "What do you have to say that can't be said out here?"

"You know bloody well what," she said coldly, before motioning him towards the workroom.

Snape looked on with a bemused face, but stayed out of the confrontation, and with in a few moments, Malfoy had made his way toward the workroom. "Just give us a mo, please," she said to Severus, who took a seat in his arm chair with a look that Lily suspected was a suppressed smile.

Entering the workroom herself, Lily cast an Imperturbable Charm on the door and rounded on Malfoy. "How did you find out about it?"

Malfoy dropped the sneering look he'd had in the sitting room. "Heard it around through a bunch of sources; started quite a bit of a fuss when you left."

"So how the hell did _you _get permission to follow me?" She asked.

"Argued to the Merlin that if you were allowed to tip fate to the direction that you desired, then I should have the right to do the same in my direction."

"James Potter!" She began, only to be cut off before she could begin her rant.

"Listen, Lily—you have to understand that what you're doing… it isn't beneficial to anyone. You should know more than anything that Snape won't be interested in starting a relationship…"

"No, James, I don't know that, and neither do you," she responded angrily.

"You can't honestly tell me that you want to hook these two up," he said, sounding almost mystified by the concept.

"And you can't tell me that you want to see Remus lonely for the rest of his life—not if you still consider him a friend."

"No, I don't want to see that," James replied sulkily, "but I also don't want to see him saddled with such a…"

"A man as intelligent as himself, who he's worked with and fought with and attempted to form an amicable relationship with for years?"

James shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, but—Lily, he's Sn—"

"He's a war hero, who is also an incredibly passionate person and friend, one who I respect and care about immensely, who also happens to be one of the only people from our year still alive and the only other person who shares Remus' preferences."

James huffed for a moment before crossing his—Draco's—arms over his chest. "Fine, I'll leave you alone in your quest to give them a chance. Just don't expect me to help you."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Lily said sweetly, "and make sure to tell your _accomplice _that if I start seeing Nymphadora Tonks or Narcissa Malfoy or any other member of the old Black family acting strangely around here there will be hell for both of you to pay."

"Sirius isn't my accomplice!" James said incredulously. Lily merely cocked an eyebrow at him. "Okay, well maybe it was discussed a time or two after we learned what you were up to—but he hasn't gotten permission."

"Just keep him out of it and stay out of the way," Lily huffed, "I'm going to have enough trouble without you two dunderheads trying to bugger it up."

"Right…" James said, grinning mischievously, "but don't expect me to be going back anytime soon. I want to be around and have the chance to gloat when you're proved wrong and Remus wants nothing to do with ol' Snivelly."

Lily rolled her eyes at her husband without responding to his comment. "Whatever, _Malfoy_, just make sure you don't give yourself away."

"Don't worry about it… Snape won't catch on," James said loftily, waving a hand to further dispel her worries.

As he sauntered back into the sitting room, Lily couldn't help but fret that any hope of success her plan had now rested on James Potter's shoulders. Much as she loved the man, the prospect terrified her. With a long-suffering sigh, she followed in his wake, praying that he wouldn't end up giving the both of them away.

* * *

Severus had put on one of the only salvageable Muggle outfits he owned—a charcoal grey sweater Minerva had given him for one of his last Christmases at Hogwarts and a pair of black trousers that fit as if they'd once belonged to his father, though he couldn't remember. He'd arrived at the pub early, to give himself the opportunity to escape before Potter and Lupin arrived, should he come to his senses about whom he was dooming himself to spend his afternoon with. In the end, though, he'd decided to stay—figuring his wager of a round of alcohol would have to be paid eventually, and the sooner he got it over with the better it would be. 

Lupin arrived only a few minutes before two o'clock, glanced around the pub, and took a seat at the bar by himself. Severus, still hidden away in his dark corner of the room, decided to wait for Potter's arrival before making himself known—hoping to limit his interaction with the pair as much as possible.

As the minutes stretched on, and Potter continued to not show, and Lupin began scanning the room even more often. Severus decided that he should make his presence known—less Lupin decide that he was being stood up and leave the pub. Not because he cared about the werewolf's feelings, of course, but because he'd agreed to one round, so buying Lupin drinks should suffice for paying off his bet—whether Potter showed or not.

"Lupin," he said shortly, taking a seat on the barstool next to him, "I take it you haven't heard from Potter either."

"Oh, hello Severus," he replied, "and no, I haven't heard from Harry since last night, though he sounded like he was excited to be coming…" he broke off to look around the room again, but there still was no sign of the Boy Who Lived to be a Pain in Severus' Arse.

"Well," he responded awkwardly, "I suppose a round of drinks wouldn't be amiss… it will be Potter's own fault if he misses one or two."

Lupin smiled and nodded in agreement, "I'll have whatever it is that you're ordering, then."

It took a couple of minutes for their scotches to arrive, and it was Remus who broke the silence after his first sip. "So, Severus—I hadn't heard much of you after the war ended… how have you been getting along?"

"Well enough," he replied, before taking a long drink of his own, "I've started a mail-order potions business which has been keeping me rather busy. It's not much of a challenge, but it's been pleasant being able to brew without the constant bother of dunderheads and megalomaniacs."

Lupin snorted, "Yes, I would imagine that it is a comparatively quiet life."

"Undoubtedly," he said automatically, "until the pair of you dropped in I'd enjoyed the solitude."

"Ah… sorry for the interruption, then. Though I suppose it will be over soon," Lupin responded, looking almost hurt.

"Oh, I didn't mean to say that it was a problem," Severus backtracked, "just a change in routine."

"Right…" Lupin said, although he still seemed a bit troubled.

"If anything, it's been… pleasant to have the two of you around," Severus felt the need to add, "Though if you repeat it to Potter I'll hex you speechless."

"Your secret's safe with me," Lupin smirked, "and I'm glad that we could be a change of pace. Must be difficult seeing the same faces everyday."

Severus felt like asking if his own reflection in a mirror counted, but decided not to give Lupin the satisfaction.

"One could say that," he said vaguely.

This time the mongrel had the nerve to laugh, "Yes, I'm sure… between customers and admirers and beneficiaries, I'm surprised that you've been able to find time for Harry and me, Severus."

"I hardly came here to be mocked, so unless you're ready to desist, you might as well finish your drink and return home," he hissed, quiet enough that none of the other patrons would be able to hear.

"Excuse me?" Lupin looked highly confused, and somewhat affronted.

"Difficult as it may be to believe, Lupin," Severus growled defensively, "my social life hasn't been particularly active in the past couple of years."

"That wasn't what I meant," Lupin quietly responded, "and I really wish you would call me by my first name, Severus."

Severus didn't care what the werewolf thought he should be calling him, but he did wonder how a conversation that had begun rather amicably had gone downhill so quickly. "Right—I suppose I am of the habit to behave somewhat defensively," he said lamely, in lieu of a full out apology. Lupin should have known better than to push the issue in the first place.

"And I'm sorry that I offended you," Lupin continued with a smile. "Anyway… I was thinking about that charm that you mentioned early in the week—where was it that you had read the information on it?"

Although he was a bit baffled by it, Severus appreciated the change in topic, and the two began discussing _Experimental Charms Monthly… _which somehow lead to a conversation on Ministry-placed restrictions Dark Arts research, then on to the upcoming Wizengamot elections, and somehow even a discussion on the Irish Quidditch league, in which Remus' team seemed to be having a rough season.

On the fourth time that the bartender gallingly asked whether they were going to buy another round, Severus realized that the pair had been sitting at the bar for well over two hours, and were still nursing their first drink. Potter had, as yet, failed to show for their meeting. "If he thinks that I'm going to come out again to pick up his tab…" Severus grumbled.

"I'm sure he just forgot, Severus," Remus said with a soppy grin, "my guess is that it's Ginny's weekend off from St. Mungo's, and he's otherwise occupied."

"Ah… young love," Severus said, as if it were a dirty word. For reasons unknown to him, it seemed to cause Remus' smile to fade considerably.

"Well, I suppose that I should let you get back to your brewing, then," he suddenly said, sliding off of his barstool. "Thank you for the drink, Severus, I had quite an enjoyable time."

"Yes, you too," he responded, unsure why Lupin was turning tail so suddenly, and equally confused as to why he felt so—disappointed by it.

He watched Lupin—Remus, he corrected himself—leave, before paying the irritated bartender his tab and exiting the pub. Little did he know that a disembodied spirit, who had left her temporary home for the weekend, had been watching on happily the entire time.

* * *

Lily couldn't help but grin at the petulant look on her husband's face, especially since it was infinitely more petulant once it occupied Draco Malfoy's aristocratic features. "Don't worry, James," she cooed, "I won't gloat too much when they've finally hit it off." 

"It was one date," he responded with a frown, "and from what you told me it was more awkwardness than true love. I still have hope for Moony's sanity."

"It was a good beginning, you have to admit," Lily smiled, "and hopefully the next week or so will continue to build on it."

"Ah, yes, step two of Mrs. Lily Potter's remarkable match-making plan," James sneered. As contemptible as the words were in Malfoy's tone, she knew James well enough to recognize his words as teasing. "And what is your next course of action?"

"Well… about that. I was hoping you might help with the second part," Lily said flippantly.

James shot her an incredulous look. "I thought the agreement was I stay out of your way—why on earth would I help Snivellus land Moony?"

"Yes, well… circumstances have changed," she said vaguely.

"Sounds unfortunate," James smirked, "but I think I'll stick to my plan of standing back and letting fate run its course."

"You're helping them land each other, James, or I'm going to the Merlin, informing him that you've come here to change fate solely for your _own _desires, and having him send you back beyond the veil!"

"What do you want me to do?" He asked sulkily, sounding surprised by his wife's sudden outburst.

"It's for Remus' benefit anyway; they should get each other something for Christmas—you get Snape to realize that and take him to get something that Remus would like."

"And why the hell would I want to do that?" James asked, gobsmacked. "And furthermore, why would _Malfoy _want to do that? And why would Snape listen to him?!"

"I don't know," Lily sighed, "but it would be more effective if Draco did it than if Harry did, and besides that…"

"No!" James interrupted, "and why would Malfoy know what Remus wanted for Christmas? The idea doesn't make any sense—and I'd have to give myself away to make it work."

"I thought you said that you could convince _ol' Snivelly_," Lily replied, "I just thought I'd make it a challenge."

"A challenge that is completely ridiculous! There's no way Snape would really believe that Malfoy would have brilliant ideas on what to get Moony for Christmas—and Snivelly'd never believe that Malfoy thought it necessary to buy him anything in the first place!"

Although his responses were hardly coming as a surprise, Lily acted as taken-aback as she could. "Fine, then. I'm sorry I asked in the first place," she said sadly, folding her arms across her chest and staring in the opposite direction, trying to look as hurt as possible.

"Lily, please don't tell me you're really upset by this," James stated, suddenly seeming extremely unsettled.

"I guess I just hoped that you would be more willing to help me," she said quietly, hoping against hope that her eyes would sparkle at him.

"It's… I didn't… oh fine, I'll take the git shopping," James huffed. "But that doesn't mean that I'm going to enjoy it."

With a grin Lily threw her arms—or rather Harry's—around his neck. "Thank you, love," she whispered sincerely.

"Yes, well…" James responded, suddenly sounding considerably more confident, "I suppose, though, that I could use a little bit of incentive for the trip. I mean, it's a shame wasting all of this time in solid form…"

"James." Lily stated in a firm voice. "We're both 20 year old boys, and I'm your son."

After an awkward silence, James pulled out of the embrace with a frown. "Way to kill the mood, Love."

* * *

At the very least, James was thankful that the Malfoy kid had good taste—he shrugged the hood of his fox-fur cloak forward to further shield his face, and reveled in its warmth, as he watched the tip of Snivellus' monstrosity of a nose turn amusingly red. 

"I still fail to see why you felt the need to drag me along, Draco," Snape muttered, scowling as he pulled his worn traveling cloak tighter around him. James made a mental note to have the Malfoy brat buy him some new winter clothing—before he could wonder where the rush of sympathy had come from.

"I told you, Mother was busy and I hardly wanted to start Christmas shopping alone. Besides, it doesn't hurt you to get out of your lair once in a while."

Even as he said it, though, he couldn't help noticing the wide berth the pair was being granted, despite the large crowds of Christmas shoppers packed in to Diagon Alley. Though he knew the silent glares weren't directed at him, per say, they were horridly unnerving.

"Besides," he added awkwardly, as a woman pulled her child well out of Snape's path, "it's good to get it done early—before the place goes totally mad. Unless your shopping's already done, sir?" He asked the last part with a mischievous grin, hoping it was within the Malfoy boy's character.

Snape smirked at Draco. "So that's what this is about—hoping to figure out what I'd get you? And here I'd thought that habit had been abated after you turned eleven."

"No!" James responded, hoping that Draco would usually be abashed at such an accusation. Judging from the smirk on Snape's face, he figured that his reaction had been normal. "I didn't mean for myself, I meant for everyone. Surely you can't have finished all of your shopping already."

The comment seemed to deflate Snape's smirk considerably. "Of course not, Draco, as you know full way the vast number of purchases I needed to run out and make for all of my friends," he responded, although it lacked the vitriol that James would have expected from such a comment.

"Mother and I, Professor McGonagall…" he prompted, hoping that the prompt would lead Snape to rattle off more—well, he doubted Snape had friends, but at least more acquaintances.

"If you put it that way, then I suppose I am done," said Snape quietly.

"But surely there are others…"

"And who would you recommend I make purchases for, Draco?" Snape sneered, "Who else will be eagerly awaiting a Yuletide wish from Severus Snape?"

"What about Lupin and Potter?" James blurted, regretting it immediately. This was not at all the subtle transition he'd been hoping to make. "You've been spending quite a lot of time with them lately," he added lamely, trying to justify the suggestion.

Snape actually stopped in the middle of the alley. "Surely you're joking," he sneered, "why in the bloody…"

"Well, you always get something for Professor McGonagall, don't you?"

The permanent frown line between Snape's eyebrows deepened as he began walking again. "Yes, Minerva and I have exchanged gifts every year, but that's because—"

"You've been colleagues all along." The glare Snape shot at him made James suspect that Draco rarely interrupted. "Anyway, isn't it the same with you and Lupin, now?"

Snape shrugged, but seemed to be conceding the point. "And what would you recommend my buying him?"

James blanched for a moment, then pretended to think on the question for a while—knowing that too quick of an answer would make Snape even more suspicious. "What about… didn't he always carry chocolate with him? It'd be something easy." i _And rather cliché /i _, he added silently, smothering a laugh the entire time.

"I'll consider it," Snape said slowly, although as they continued on, James noticed he was paying markedly more attention to the shop windows they passed.

_And to think she doubted me_, he thought smugly.

* * *

Lily mused on her weekend shopping trip with Remus as she finished stirring her Skelegro Potion the following Monday afternoon. She was extremely pleased that James had followed through on his end of the deal; all that was left to do now was to set the pair up for the holiday. She watched as the liquid faded to light grey, then lowered the heat under the cauldron and left the potion to simmer. After cleaning up and finishing her notes for Harry's Potions book, she made her way towards the sitting room, stopping at the door to listen in on any conversation that Severus and Remus might have been having in her absence. 

"…considerably better than I had expected," she heard Snape say, "Had the dunderhead put half the amount of effort in during his time at Hogwarts, he might have turned out to be a passable brewer."

"That may be the highest praise I've ever heard you give him, Severus," Remus responded, his voice sounding highly amused. "Shame that he wasn't here to hear it."

Snape harrumphed, and for a while the only sound in the room was the pages of their books as they read. Lily was about to enter the room and let Severus know that her potion was completed, when Remus spoke up again.

"Do you have any plans for Christmas, Severus?"

"Dinner with Narcissa and Draco in Wiltshire, why?"

"Oh—no reason," Remus responded awkwardly.

Again there was a few seconds of silence, and Lily cringed at the sudden tension in the room.

"I… have none for Boxing Day, though," Snape said in a low voice.

A self-satisfied grin split Lily's—Harry's—face as she retreated back into the workroom to bottle the potion herself; she'd let them set up their plans without interruption, and revel in her success alone (or at least until she next saw James).

* * *

The brat was now more than half an hour late, and for all of the progress that Potter had made in the last few weeks—Severus could _almost _admit that the lessons had been somewhat pleasant—he was getting an urge to wring the boy's neck that he hadn't felt since he was teaching at Hogwarts. 

"He didn't tell you where he'd be?" He asked Remus with a frown.

"I had assumed he'd be here," Lupin responded.

_Which is why you've come in the first place_, Severus completed for him, which inexplicably put him in an even worse mood. "And he thinks none of us have anything better to do than to wait around for him?"

Remus frowned and glanced out the sitting room window, looking a bit concerned. "If you need to get to work you should, Severus. This just doesn't seem like Harry to skip…"

Two and a half weeks ago Severus would have ranted that it was _exactly _like Potter to be self-centered and ignorant in his wasting of other's time, but since he'd been under his tutelage Potter had been nothing but an exemplary student. He sighed and stopped his pacing.

"Never mind—if he's not here by the top of the hour, we'll both go searching for the brat. Would you like some tea, in the meantime?"

Lupin blinked, as if surprised that Severus would offer, before nodding and taking a seat on the sofa. He went to the kitchen and quickly prepared a pot of Earl Grey, before returning to the sitting room and handing a cup to Lupin.

"So… how have you been?" He asked lamely, hating Potter for not being present and giving the both of them something to do. What had he been playing at agreeing to meet with him on Boxing Day?

"Well enough," Remus answered, "I have to admit that I'm looking forward to the Holidays."

Severus nodded, unsure whether he was or not, and couldn't help but feel a little bit better that Lupin might just be looking forward to spending time with him. Possibly.

"I don't suppose that there's any specific time that you might want to meet up on Boxing Day," he said, hoping that he was broaching the topic subtly—and that Lupin hadn't changed his mind about their meeting.

"Whatever time you were thinking of, Severus," Lupin said jovially, "I'll be free the entire day. I assume that you'd want to meet here?"

"Yes… yes, that would be fine… dinner, then?"

"Dinner would be excellent," Remus smiled.

An awkward silence passed between the two of them, during which Severus could faintly hear the ticking of Lupin's ancient-looking wristwatch.

"So…" Lupin began faintly after some time, "you haven't happened to see the newest addition of i _Experimental Charms Monthly /i _, have you?"

"Mine hasn't arrived yet, actually," Severus responded, "is there anything of interest in it?"

With the encouragement, Remus launched into an elaborate description of the newest eviscerating curse, one that had apparently been designed by a careless trainee healer at St. Mungo's, who had been trying to reverse an Obsido curse.

A hesitant knock at the door interrupted them, and with a jolt Severus realized that they were still waiting for Potter to arrive. He rose and went to the door, finding an embarrassed-looking Potter standing outside.

"Nice of you to show," he sneered.

"I'm sorry, sir, I must have slept through my alarm," the boy replied.

"Well be sure that you don't make the same mistake again," Severus said, just barely restraining himself from taking points, "ingredients are already sitting out for you in the workroom, and I trust that you read the necessary instructions to complete the potion."

"Yes, I did sir," Potter responded, leaving for the workroom. Rather than joining him, though, Severus reclaimed his armchair.

"I would hope that after three straight weeks of close instruction the dunderhead knows how to begin brewing," Severus said as he picked his tea back up, "do continue with what you were saying, I shouldn't be needed until he's finished."

With a warm smile, Lupin—Remus—continued from where he'd left off.

* * *

Remus had surprised himself when he'd taken over two hours to get himself dressed on the morning of Boxing Day—he only had so many tatty robes to chose from, and how long did it really take someone to comb their hair—and by the time he'd finally gotten out the door he had to admit the obvious to himself. He was terrified when it came to this dinner. 

Despite this thought, or maybe because of the sudden intensity of his anxiety, Remus Apparated to Spinner's End before he could change his mind. As he was trudging up the dingy street toward Severus' house, he couldn't help but marvel at the fact that it had been less than a month since he had made the same walk—a walk that had been equally nerve-wracking at the time, though for entirely different reasons.

The front door swung open before he had a chance to knock, revealing a slightly breathless Severus. "Er… I had the wards alert me when you got here," he said uncomfortably.

Remus tried not to gape at the other man's appearance, which he had clearly taken some care in—he was wearing a deep green sweater and well-cut black pants which were considerably nicer than the tatty pair he'd wore to the pub the week previously. But it was more difficult to ignore the tingling sensation it left in his gut. "You look… well, Severus," he said with a smile that he prayed wasn't a leer.

"Thank you, you do as well," Severus responded, stepping aside so that he could enter.

Remus hung his cloak on the peg by the door, leaving Severus' present inside of it. He wasn't certain whether or not the gift would be overstepping his boundaries, but when Harry had decided to buy him something in return for his lessons, Remus figured he should do the same—if nothing else than as thanks for granting him the space to conduct his own lessons for Harry. Of course, he'd like to think that he might be able to give the gift for a different reason, but he definitely didn't want to get ahead of himself; and he decided to wait to see how deep Severus was into the Christmas spirit before he went giving him an unwanted present.

"It smells heavenly, Severus," he said truthfully. The aroma coming from the kitchen was positively mouth watering.

"Ah, yes… I thought—well, it's a day late, but I thought we might do a Christmas dinner, and for some reason Narcissa had insisted that I take a goose of all things yesterday, so…"

"Merlin, I don't think I've had a full Christmas dinner in years," Remus said with a grin, "and here I thought this would be a casual get together."

The side of Snape's face went red as he shrugged and retreated to the kitchen "to check on the meal's progress," and Remus took a seat on the sofa, vowing to watch his stupid mouth for the rest of the evening, for both of their sakes.

"It's finished, if you'd like to come and eat," Severus called from the doorway a few minutes later.

He had completely outdone himself, and Remus ate himself full to bursting with the delicious spread that Severus had prepared—a full goose, a dish full of roasted potatoes, a plate of chipolatas and even a tureen of tripe (which he had thirds of, but noticed that Severus never touched)… he wasn't exactly sure how many people Severus had been intending on serving, but the obvious effort that had gone into the meal warmed Remus nearly as much as the food itself had.

"Shall we take the eggnog into the sitting room, then?" Severus asked once the two of them had finished. "I mean, if you want to stay, that is."

"A spot of eggnog sounds lovely," Remus smiled, deciding that the second question didn't warrant an answer. With a flick of both of their wands the dishes were banished to the sink and the food to a cold storage where Remus assumed a Muggle refrigerator had once been, and they both carried a cup of the creamy drink back into the sitting room.

"I'll be back in a moment," Severus said as Remus took a spot on the couch, and he set his drink down on the rickety table next to him and hurried up a staircase that had been hidden by one of the bookshelves. When he returned, he was carrying a small gift wrapped in red foil.

"I hope that it isn't too bold of me," he said timidly, "but I thought, being the Holidays and all…"

"Actually," Remus laughed, "I felt the same way. _Accio _Severus' gift," he said, pointing his wand towards his cloak and catching the green-wrapped package.

After a bit of hesitation, Severus joined him on the other side of the sofa, and the two exchanged packages. It was Severus who opened his first, revealing a thick book titled _Potions and Poisons of 20th Century England_.

"Ah, thank you," he said uneasily, opening the cover as if to check the print date.

"I hadn't seen it on any of the shelves, so I'd hoped it'd be a new one…" Remus said hopefully.

"It's actually on my bed stand for now…" Severus continued.

Remus was crestfallen. "Pity I hadn't seen it…" he murmured, before realizing what he was saying.

Severus visibly blanched, and again an alarming patch of red began to appear on his sallow features. He took a deep gulp of his eggnog, as if to calm his nerves, and Remus decided that if it were possible to _Avada Kedavra _oneself, he would have done it on the spot.

"Right, then," Severus said, handing his own gift over to Remus, "I know that it's fairly common, but…"

Remus pulled the wrapping paper off to find three large bars of Honeyduke's finest, as well as a slip informing him that starting January 1 he would be receiving a year's subscription to _Experimental Charms Monthly_.

"Thank you, Severus, they're lovely. And hardly common at all; it was becoming a hassle for me to Apparate to London simply to read the magazine."

"Right, well, I figured… if you ever wanted to keep up our conversations… well, this way you would stay up to date, anyway."

Remus hoped that his smile didn't appear too disappointed—he was extremely touched by the gift, and sincerely wanted Severus' mention of continuing their meetings to become a reality, but the sudden reminder that they would only be teaching Harry for a few more days suddenly stung.

"Yes, well, I won't be keeping you longer," he said in a horribly cheerful voice, "Thank you so much for the lovely dinner and the gifts—I hope that the magazines can come in handy in the future."

With a slight frown, Severus nodded and escorted him to the door, not saying anything as Remus pulled his cloak around him and stepped outside.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then," he said over his shoulder.

"Yes, I'll see you. And… Happy Christmas, Remus."

He shut the door after saying it, and Remus Apparated away before he could further regret his decision to leave.

* * *

"I thought you said you'd been improving," Severus said with a wicked smirk, watching his queen destroy Remus' bishop. 

"And I thought you said you were out of practice," Remus replied mildly, studying the chess board to find a move that might save his dwindling pieces. "It's nice, now, with Harry able to work on his own."

Severus nodded and took a sip of wine. "Honestly, he's probably at the level now that he could take the rest of the week off—but we agreed that more practice would be nothing but help." The explanation was most of the truth; save for the part where Severus never told Harry his formal lessons could be ended, after deciding a few more days of the Gryffindors' company wouldn't be something he'd be adverse to. Much as he hated to admit it, January first would be a very lonely day at Spinner's End.

"Have you decided about the Order party, yet?" Remus asked, taking a sip of his own wine.

"Ah, yes—the Malfoys will be having their own New Years Eve party, and they've asked me to attend."

Remus raised an eyebrow, "You're sure that you couldn't spare a few hours at the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Why would I change my traditional routine, Lupin, to mingle with a group of people I've had barely any contact with in well over a year?"

"Well," Remus thought, spinning the wine in his glass as he contemplated a solution, "I'm sure that Draco would be more than welcome to join you, if you wanted to have a more familiar face around."

"I'm sure, but then with the other plans…"

"Somehow I think that Narcissa Malfoy would be more than capable of entertaining without the assistance of you and Draco," Remus answered shortly, tired of listening to the same excuse.

"I'm sure that she could," Severus responded coldly, "but I hardly think that there's a question as to which event I'd rather go to. This Order Party—I'd hardly want to attend a celebration which has no one that wants me in attendance."

"That's not true, Severus," Remus responded, suddenly looking at him with a startling intensity, "Harry was the first to invite you, both Hermione and Minerva have mentioned multiple times that it's been too long since they've seen you last, and… and I would very much like for you to be there."

Although Severus had been enjoying his time spent with Remus, and suspected that Lupin shared his feelings, he was somewhat surprised to hear the man all but ask him to the party. He contemplated the chess board for a few moments, before using his knight to take Lupin's last rook.

"I'll speak with Draco about his plans for that evening, and definitely take the invitation to mind."

It wasn't the acceptance that Remus had clearly been hoping for, but he seemed happy to get some concession out of him. With the level of tension in the room considerably lower now that the conversation was over, both men leaned back in their respective chairs, taking a break from the chess game. After hearing Remus inhale deeply through his nose, Severus glanced up to see the man sniffing the air and frowning.

"Severus, the moon was two weeks ago…" he said, sounding confused.

"I know, Lupin, I brewed—" but then he smelled it as well; someone was definitely brewing Wolfsbane in the workroom.

"Why would you have Harry brewing it now?" Remus asked, but Severus was already out of his chair and moving towards the rear of the house.

He _hadn't _told the boy to brew Wolfsbane today—he'd said he would consider letting him assist before the next full moon if they both had the time, but he certainly hadn't told him to brew it today. And he had no idea where the idiot had found the huge amount of aconite he could smell—or when he would have began preparing it without Severus knowing.

"Potter!" He barked, throwing the door to the workroom open as Lupin followed on his heels, "Even if I forgot to specifically tell you what to brew today, I know damn well that there's no aconite in this house, and that the ingredients I left for you are used to make…" he trailed off as the boy looked up from his Potions book with a puzzled look on his face.

"I didn't use aconite, sir," Potter responded, "and I brewed the potion you had me read on last night." He nodded at the cauldron that was simmering next to him—full of a potion with a distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen.

"Amortentia," he heard Lupin murmur behind him, and he stalked across the room to examine the potion—before anyone noticed how badly his cheeks were burning.

He banished the potion from its cauldron, and immediately the smell of aconite left the room—a detail that left him feeling more than a little nauseous. "Well enough, then, Potter… I have instructions for a Hangover Tonic that I'll need to have brewed before New Years festivities start, so if you'd start on that…"

"What about the potion, sir?" Potter asked, looking alarmed that Severus had banished it without checking its quality.

"It was fine, Potter! Now, if you want more practice, start the damn tonic!" He snapped, feeling his face burn even hotter from embarrassment.

"Maybe… maybe I should go pick some lunch up, or something. Are the two of you okay with curry?" An overly cheery voice asked from the doorway.

Severus turned to express his approval of lunch, when he noticed that Lupin appeared just as embarrassed as himself. With a jolt of—Severus wasn't certain what the emotion was that he was feeling—he realized that Lupin had smelled the same thing in the other room. Which meant…

As soon as Lupin had left the room, he followed suit, not wanting to spend anymore time with the boy who had surely realized what was going on.

With his back turned, he completely missed the triumphant smile on Potter's face.

* * *

The party had started an hour and a half previously, and Lily was beginning to worry that Snape would be a no-show. With a pang of guilt she saw Remus sitting by himself near the bar, and she silently beseeched James to come through for her. But finally, finally just before 10 o'clock, an entirely too-confident Draco Malfoy walked in to the Leaky Cauldron, followed closely by Severus, who looked ready to bolt at any moment. 

"Good to see you could make it, Professor Snape," Lily smiled after intercepting him on his way to the cloak wrack.

"Potter," Snape said shortly, although for the first time Lily thought his eyes may be betraying some of his anxiety, "I don't suppose the bar is in service during this—event."

"Of course," Lily said, trying her hardest not to laugh as she pointed toward the bar, "what kind of New Years Party would it be without alcohol?"

As Severus made his way to the bar without a response, James and Lily laughed quietly in his wake. "James Potter, you never cease to amaze me," she snickered. "He looks ready to have a fit—how did you talk him into it?"

"I'm not entirely sure," James said with a sly grin, "basically I whinged that I wanted to go until he was nearly ready to hex me, and then he got that second invitation from Weasley of all people…"

"Ron Weasley?" Lily asked, in shock. Sure, she'd been getting a number of owls from him inquiring about lessons, and she'd mentioned to him that she'd invited Severus along (which had been met with surprisingly little backlash on his part, now that she thought on it), but for him to be sending Snape invitations was—

"Bloody odd, don't you think?" James asked, and Lily could do nothing but nod as she thought the same thing.

"And even more odd that Ronald Weasley of all people would convince him to come," he continued, but as he said it Lily noticed Remus meeting up with Severus at the bar.

"There could have been other inspirations," she said, smiling and pointing towards the pair. James gave her a pained look, but to his credit kept the comments to himself.

"Well then," said Lily, "don't want to spend the night hiding behind the cloak rack by ourselves—rumors might start," she smirked and began walking towards the crowd in the pub, but turned back to James abruptly, "and remember, we still have until just after midnight, so don't muck anything up, _Malfoy_."

"Wouldn't dream of it, _Potter_," he responded with a smirk of his own.

"Harry!" Hermione called, approaching her with a grin and a flush to her cheeks that said she'd been visiting the bar with frequency. "It's so good to see you! How have the lessons turned out? And where is Ginny?"

"The lessons were a huge success, I'm feeling very confident about the entrance exams," Lily said with a smile, surreptitiously trying to keep a watch on Remus and Severus, "and Ginny's been stuck at work tonight." She hoped that she sound sufficiently disappointed, despite her excitement as she watched the pair.

"Poor thing," Hermione said, meaning that Lily was either successful in her acting or that Hermione was too drunk to notice, "the trainees get the worst hours, send her my apologies next time you see her."

"Of course," Lily responded, "I'll let her know tomorrow. Now, if you'll excuse me," she smiled and began her way towards other conversations, hoping to be able to mingle with other, less observant Order members while keeping track of her project.

* * *

As the clock neared midnight, Remus noticed that he hadn't seen Severus in a while. After Molly Weasley had pulled him aside to give him yet another atta-boy speech about Tonks (who apparently still hadn't revealed his orientation to the Weasley matron), been debriefed by Mad-Eye Moody about any and all illicit werewolf happenings that may or may not have happened around England in the past three months (which was delivered whether he wanted it or not), and been forced into a highly awkward conversation with Nymphadora Tonks (who thought that he was looking very well, and was doing extremely well with her new boyfriend, Charlie Weasley, thank you very much), he realized that the man that he had hoped to spend time with the most seemed to have disappeared. 

He wandered the crowded tavern looking for him, and had begun to worry that he'd already left for home, when he noticed a dark figure sitting on the pub stoop that faced Diagon Alley.

"Fancy meeting you out here," he said with a smile, as Severus turned to acknowledge him.

"Let's just say that the festivities got to be a bit much for a hermit to handle," he said mildly, "have I missed midnight, yet?"

"Have you heard any drunken revelry?" Remus asked back.

"No, I suppose not any louder than it's been all night," Severus answered with a faint smile.

Remus sighed and stared up at the sky, "I'm going to miss the lessons," he said, though he didn't particularly expect a response.

Severus drummed his fingers against the cement of the stoop. "I am too… at least, going to miss the company."

The response had been so soft that Remus had barely heard it above the music inside of the pub, which seemed to be reaching a fever-pitch as the midnight hour drew closer. He had heard it, however, and it had inexplicably made him feel quite warm, despite the freezing temperature on the stoop. "Surprising, isn't it, the way that Potter boy can change things?"

"Indeed," Snape snorted, "he never ceases to amaze."

The pair sat in silence for a long while, listening to the partiers inside the Leaky, but it was considerably less awkward than their previous silent spells. Remus moved closer to Severus on the stoop, pressing against his side… in an attempt to keep warm, of course. To his relief, he didn't move away.

* * *

Severus was fairly certain that the universe had been flipped upside down, but found that as long as Remus' shoulder and leg stayed pressed against his own, he didn't much care. For the moment, even the bitter cold and the horrifically loud party going on around them couldn't even irritate him. 

"You know," he said quietly, "I wouldn't be completely opposed—even though lessons are over and it's up to you—to things continuing as they were. I mean, the tea and chess games… on occasion… if you want them to." He braced himself for rejection as he felt the muscles in Remus' leg contract against his own.

"I'd like that a lot, actually," Lupin responded, his eyes suddenly flashing gold in the light of the waxing moon.

It seemed like an eternity that they sat on the stoop staring at one another, but at some point Severus' brain registered that Remus had pressed his lips to Severus'—or perhaps it had happened the other way around—but either way they were definitely kissing and Remus' hands were in his hair and people within the pub were shouting and blowing party horns and there was nowhere else Severus wanted to be.

_Happy New Year, indeed. _

* * *

"Told you," Lily grinned, sounding supremely proud of herself as she stood inside the Leaky's breezeway. 

"Alright, alright," James grumbled, "so maybe they will be good for each other. It still doesn't mean that I have to like it."

Lily continued watching the two—trying to remember if she'd ever really thought she would see Severus Snape look so happy, or Remus Lupin look as hopeful as he did now.

"You know," James whispered, "I have to admit that I'm starting to get a bit jeal—"

"I said no, James," Lily said firmly, irritated that the idiot had managed to completely ruin the moment for her. She was about to say so, when a very long arm was thrown around her shoulders.

"Superbly done you two, I haven't been this impressed in some time," said the cheery voice of… Ron Weasley.

"What the…" asked James, who seemed to be just as confused as Lily, when the Weasley boy's blue eyes twinkled at the both of them.

"Albus?!" Lily whispered incredulously, hardly believing what she was seeing. The fact that James' jaw was nearly touching the floor told her that he was having the same realization.

"Come now," he smiled, "I hear that someone is meddling in the lives of two of my favorite students…"

"We weren't meddling!" Lily said defensively.

"… and I had to make sure that I was around to supervise. And do a bit of meddling myself, perhaps."

James laughed a bit at this, though Lily wasn't sure if it was out of humor or out of incredulity, as she was still warring with the two emotions herself. When she turned her attention back to Remus and Severus, she noticed the pair—couple, she corrected herself gleefully—were preparing to leave for the night. She couldn't help but hope that wherever they were going, it would be together.

"And with that," Albus said happily, "I believe it's time for the three of us to depart as well."

Lily sighed wistfully. She had accomplished what she'd come for, and now it was time to give poor Harry his life back—and hope that her notes would be sufficient enough for him to get through his exams. Though as she thought about it, Severus just might be content enough over the next few days to give the boy some last minute tutoring, should it be necessary. She smiled at James and Albus, then Apparated Harry back to his flat. After lying down on the bed, she closed her—Harry's—eyes in concentration, and felt the spell that she had used one month previous reverse itself.

After leaving the body, she stayed over Harry's bed for a short time and watched her son sleep—slightly melancholy to be leaving the world of the living to again be a spectator, but infinitely thankful for the success she'd had.

* * *

**Prompt: **Humor! Ghost!Lily borrows Harry's body to play matchmaker to Snape and Lupin. Ghost!James tries to stop her. Ghost!Sirius fumes...bonus if Sirius/James borrows Draco's body too! (no Harry/Draco though, please). Lily and Sirius/James mannerisms in Harry and Draco will be adored! 


End file.
